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Short Language Courses in 2026/2027

Our eight-week language courses are available for  Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Spanish and Ukrainian from February to May. Course types include introductory-level courses that allow you to familiarise yourself with a new language, practice-focused language courses to improve your everyday communication skills and specialist language courses for specific purposes.

Our English Conversation short courses are also available from October to December. You can register from late August.

Course fees: 16 hours over 8 weeks

  • £116 University of York students

  • £150 University of York staff/Over 60s/Students from other HE institutions

  • £160 University of York alums

  • £175 Members of the public

Register for an LFA short course

Course Dates 

  • October to December 2026 (English)
  • February to May 2027 (all languages)

Registration for our English short courses starting in October is now open

Book your place

Timetable and Course Descriptors

Please see the LFA Timetable and Course Descriptors 2026/27 for an overview of our courses and class times.

Short Courses per language: October to December

English

  • General English Conversation: ideal for students with at least a B1 level or equivalent in English who wish to improve their speaking and listening skills and their overall ability and confidence to communicate in English.

Short Courses per language: February to May

Arabic

  • Introduction to Arabic: ideal for absolute beginners who wish to familiarise with the Arabic language and Arabic-speaking cultures.

Chinese

  • Introduction to Chinese: ideal for absolute beginners who wish to familiarise with the Chinese language and Chinese-speaking cultures.

English

  • General English Conversation: ideal for students with at least a B1 level or equivalent in English who wish to improve their speaking and listening skills and their overall ability and confidence to communicate in English.

French

  • French Beginners Short Course: ideal for absolute beginners who wish to familiarise with the language for use in everyday communication.

  • French Post-Beginners Short Course: ideal for those with some prior knowledge of the language or those who have learnt some French through language learning apps or informally.

German

  • German Beginners Short Course: ideal for absolute beginners who wish to familiarise with the language for use in everyday communication.

  • German Post-Beginners Short Course: ideal for those with some prior knowledge of the language or those who have learnt some German through language learning apps or informally.

Italian

  • Italian Beginners Short Course: ideal for absolute beginners who wish to familiarise with the language for use in everyday communication.

  • Italian Post-Beginners Short Course: ideal for those with some prior knowledge of the language or those who have learnt some Italian through language learning apps or informally.

  • Italian Pre-Intermediate Short Course: ideal for students who have completed an LfA course or York Language Elective module in Italian at Beginner level and wish to practise and improve their skills further.

Japanese

  • Introduction to Japanese: ideal for absolute beginners who wish to familiarise with the Japanese language and culture.

Korean

  • Introduction to Korean 1: ideal for absolute beginners who have no knowledge of the Korean language or its alphabet.

  • Introduction to Korean 2: ideal for beginner-level learners of Korean who already know the Korean alphabet.

Medieval Latin

  • Medieval Documentary Latin: for those interested in familiarising with Medieval Latin through the analysis of Latin language as used in official records and documents from the Middle Ages.

Spanish

  • Spanish Beginners Short Course: ideal for absolute beginners who wish to familiarise with the language for use in everyday communication.

  • Spanish Post-Beginners Short Course: ideal for those with some prior knowledge of the language or those who have learnt some Italian through language learning apps or informally.

  • Spanish Pre-Intermediate Short Course: ideal for students who have completed an LfA course or York Language Elective module in Spanish at Beginner level and wish to practise and improve their skills further.

Ukrainian

  • Introduction to Ukrainian:  ideal for absolute beginners who wish to familiarise with the Ukrainian language and culture.

Contact us

Languages for All